Chapter 1 Fulfill them
The night is as dark as ink, so gloomy that it makes people feel nervous.
The man next to him threw the wine jug and cup away, strode forward, and tightly grasped Su Wanyu's delicate wrist.
With her other hand, she randomly picked up a piece of broken porcelain and inadvertently left a bloody mark on her white neck while resisting.
The man snatched the porcelain piece fiercely, grasped her neck with his strong hands, and shook her roughly until the scarlet blood spread over half of the bed. Only then did he slowly let go, and let her collapse among the blood-colored flowers like a rag, with her eyes closed.
"Ah! No, it hurts—"
Su Wanyu covered her neck and screamed in horror.
She suddenly opened her eyes, breathing heavily, and saw her maid Yun Yi running towards her with an anxious look on her face.
"Ma'am, are you having a nightmare?"
Regardless of the pain in her neck, Su Wanyu looked at Yun Yi in confusion. After a while, she came to her senses: "Why... are you here?"
Could it be that I am really dead?
Otherwise, how could she have seen Yun Yi die while saving her?
Taking a deep breath, Su Wanyu said to Yun Yiyan, "Just call me the same way you did at home before. There's no need to change."
Yun Yi looked at her in surprise and called softly, "Miss."
Su Wanyu stared blankly at Yun Yi as she wrung out her handkerchief and wiped her face. Only then did her mind gradually calm down.
That night, she felt as if she was in a long nightmare.
After marrying into the Marquis of Changping's mansion, she was exhausted by her cold-eyed mother-in-law, her fickle husband, and her adopted son who was impossible to get close to.
After giving all my love, it ended up in a sad way.
In her previous life, her mind was full of love and romance, which not only ruined herself, but also implicated the entire Su family.
Zheng Chengyan and the old lady threatened and tempted her to let Jiang Yingying enter the house as a concubine. However, Jiang Yingying was pregnant when she entered the house, so Zheng Chengyan turned around and forced her to become a concubine.
After Jiang Yingying came into the family, she and Zheng Chengyan appeared to be in love with each other on the surface, but secretly, Jiang Yingying, who was in charge of the household chores, often caused trouble for her.
Su Wanyu felt very disappointed. It turned out that all she had given up for him was so insignificant in his eyes.
What she thought was mutual affection was nothing more than self-admiration.
Now that she was reborn, Su Wanyu made up her mind to live a decent life.
What they want is a loving relationship, right?
Okay, let them do it.
At this time, the solemn hall was filled with ladies from various rooms. They had different expressions, some were laughing, some were watching the fun, and waiting to see her lose her temper.
"Wanyu!" Old Madam Zheng called out to her, "You haven't gotten pregnant in three years. Our Zheng family cannot be without an heir."
She retracted her thoughts, her eyes were as cold as ice, and she sneered: "Old lady, Zheng Chengyan has never slept with his granddaughter-in-law since he got married. How can you blame his granddaughter-in-law for the death? Do you want his granddaughter-in-law to go out and find him a child herself?"
Everyone was shocked, it turned out that Zheng Chengyan had never touched her after marriage, this was a new thing.
Mrs. Zheng and Madam Zheng, who knew about this, looked very unhappy and hurriedly stopped her: "Wanyu, don't talk nonsense in front of so many people!"
She rolled up her sleeves, revealing the toad's blood on her arm: "Old lady, please see clearly, I am not talking nonsense."
When Mrs. Zheng saw the bright red mark, her body swayed and she almost dropped the Buddhist beads in her hand.
Su Wanyu didn't wait for her to speak again and said with a smile, "Old lady, mother, please don't put the hat of no descendants on your granddaughter-in-law's head. Your granddaughter-in-law can't bear it. Zheng Chengyan is a playboy and has been hiding a woman outside for three years. How can this be my fault?"
"Instead of asking me, you should ask the world whether this is reasonable or not."
She used to be reckless and timid, but now her well-reasoned words left everyone present speechless.
Not to mention that they are not allowed to marry a concubine. Now that the wife has done nothing wrong, how can they marry a concubine?
Old Madam Zheng was shocked and angry. Seeing that she could not throw dirty water, she was furious: "Jiang's child is Yan'er's flesh and blood, how can I let him live out in the world!"
She raised her lips slightly and said slowly, "Old lady, you are too serious. Although we in the Great Qi Kingdom do not have a precedent of having a concubine, we can let Jiang marry in as a concubine first. If she gives birth to a boy in the future, she can be adopted by me. She will still be the eldest grandson of your Zheng family. How can she be said to be wandering outside?"
The eldest grandson?
What a joke! It all depends on whether Jiang can give birth. Now this is just a trick she uses to deceive the Zheng family.
In her previous life, Jiang was born in a humble family. After she got married, she became the legal wife because of the child in her belly. Then she teamed up with the Zheng family to torture her many times, ruining her appearance and crippling her legs.
She swallowed the bitter taste, and the spicy feeling still lingers.
This time, Su Wanyu vowed to make the Changping Marquis's Mansion uneasy, and let Jiang Yingying experience her pain.
Didn’t Jiang dream of becoming the principal wife?
I won't let her have her wish.
As a concubine, she was as lowly as dust. She wanted to let Jiang taste the feeling of being inferior and see who was worthy of being called "lowly".
Aren't the people in the Zheng family looking forward to seeing her break down and lose her composure?
She insisted on being as steady as a rock.
She wanted to welcome this disaster star named Jiang Yingying into the house with great fanfare, and step out over the threshold of the Zheng family with her head held high.
Old Madam Zheng's anger subsided a little, but her face was gloomy and terrifying: "Concubine? How can Jiang's family be a concubine!"
Su Wanyu smiled softly: "Old Madam, Zheng Chengyan is about to take the imperial examination. What if the eldest princess finds out that he has taken a concubine?"
In the Great Qi State, the law clearly stipulates that a man can have one wife and multiple concubines, and one cannot take in a concubine at will.
Zheng Chengyan was just a second young master without any official position. Taking a commoner's wife was against the law in itself, and he only dared to be so presumptuous because of the protection of Concubine Hui in the palace.
But who is the eldest princess?
The emperor's only aunt and the regent's biological mother, her prestige is almost equal to that of the empress dowager.
She has always been disgusted by officials taking commoners' wives. Anyone who dared to do so under her nose would be digging his own grave.
Upon hearing this, Mrs. Zheng's face instantly turned pale. For a long while, her lips moved but she could not utter a single word.
Mrs. Zheng Guo, who was standing by, quickly tried to persuade her: "Wanyu, the princess is currently in Chenyang for the summer vacation. If we don't tell her, how will she know?"
Guo's mother, Zheng Chengyan, was also Jiang's distant cousin. She used to send fertility soup to Jiang every day. She appeared kind on the surface, but was extremely vicious in her heart.
Su Wanyu's eyebrows were slightly curved, and she stood up slowly. Her seemingly weak and dignified back was filled with a hint of coldness: "Mother, what should we do? I have already sent a letter to the eldest princess."
"What letter?" Old Madam Zheng and Mrs. Guo looked at him simultaneously.
Su Wanyu spoke calmly, so calm that it made people shudder: "The letter said that the pattern of the gorgeous clothes embroidered for her needs to be adjusted urgently. I hope she can return to the capital as soon as possible."
The Su family has a wide range of businesses, including not only rice, grain and minerals, but also cloth shops and embroidery workshops.
Su Wanyu learned embroidery from a teacher since she was a child. Her skills were deeply favored by the eldest princess and many concubines in the harem. Even though she was married and only produced one piece of work in several months, they were willing to wait.
"You...you...did you do this on purpose?!" Old Mrs. Zheng stood up and pointed her trembling finger at her, full of anger.
That’s right, Su Wanyu did make deliberate arrangements.